Tourniquet  cuff with a tightness indicator

ABSTRACT

A tourniquet cuff has a body configured for being wrapped around a limb. The body has an unpressurized state and a pressurized state. A securing portion on the body is releasably engageable to the body. The cuff also has an indicator that operates in response to movement of the securing portion for locating where the securing portion engages the body in order to apply a predetermined amount of force sufficient to secure the body to a limb without causing significant venous occlusion at the limb when the body is in the unpressurized state.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/185,270 filed Aug. 4, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/968,652, filed Aug. 29, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to tourniquet cuffs that provide arterial and venous occlusion in the limb of a living being and, more particularly, to tourniquet cuffs with structure to indicate the proper application of the tourniquet cuff on the limb.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tourniquet cuffs are wrapped around the limb of a living being in order to keep blood out of the limb and/or to keep local anesthesia from escaping the limb. The cuffs are used for many different medical procedures performed on the limb such as orthopaedic surgeries to name one example. The conventional inflatable tourniquet cuffs are snuggly wrapped around the limb and secured by pressing a hook or loop type material surface such as VELCRO® on the free end of the cuff to a mating hook-loop type material surface along the body of the cuff. Inflatable cuffs have at least one fluid-tight bladder and one or more ports that extend from the bladder and out of the cuff. The ports are connected to tubes that are in turn connected to an air-supplying tourniquet machine. The air volume and pressure for inflating the cuff is then controlled at the tourniquet machine. The inflated cuff applies a force against the limb that is sufficient to occlude the arteries and veins extending through the limb to stop arterial blood flow to the limb and venous blood flow and anesthesia from flowing out of the limb.

When the cuff is first wrapped around the limb while the cuff is deflated, ideally the cuff should be secured so that the cuff is not too loose and not too tight. A cuff that is properly tightened on the limb will form a defined cylinder with spiraling layers. A cuff that is too loose, however, may “telescope” out of the cylindrical shape during use and along the patient's limb. This can cause a partial or total loss of occlusion of the arteries and veins.

On the other hand, a cuff that is too tight can cause venous occlusion even though the cuff is not inflated. Pre-surgery, venous occlusion can cause poor exsanguination such that a sufficient amount of blood cannot exit the limb due to the tight cuff. This can occur while using gravity exsanguination where the limb is elevated for a particular amount of time and/or while using tensors such as wraps or other elastic bandages used to squeeze the blood out of the limb.

Post-surgery, venous occlusion by a deflated cuff can form a venous tourniquet which means that the blood engorges the limb and pools in the limb because the veins are partially or fully occluded while the arteries are still bringing blood to the limb. This may cause a dangerous deep vein thrombosis (DVT) otherwise known as a blood clot. This can occur when a surgical team deflates the cuff but leaves the cuff applied to the limb while the surgical team performs other final procedures such as closing the wound, placing drains or catheters in or near the surgical site or checking range of motion of the implant. The surgical team may not notice that the cuff on the limb is too tight and is causing a venous tourniquet because the cuff applied on the limb is often covered by surgical drapes, bandages, distal seals and/or soft tissue protection layers used between the cuff and the limb which may extend beyond the cuff on the limb such as stockinettes, sleeves, cotton cast padding, or sheet padding.

A “1-2-3 finger” test or rule is known for determining if the deflated cuff was wrapped around the limb with the correct amount of tightness or pressure. For this rule, after the cuff is wrapped around the limb, the fit is checked by attempting to put one finger between the limb and the applied cuff If one finger does not “fit”, or is too tight, the cuff is applied too tight. If two fingers fit comfortably between the cuff and the limb but not too tightly, the cuff is applied properly. If three fingers fit between the cuff and the limb, the cuff is too loose. However, a more objective way is desired for determining whether or not a tourniquet is applied to a limb with the proper amount of force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a tourniquet cuff in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is perspective view of the tourniquet cuff of FIG. 1 being applied to the limb of a living being;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tourniquet cuff of FIG. 1 shown fully secured to the limb in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side, cross-sectional view showing a securing strap portion of an alternative tourniquet in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, front perspective view showing a securing strap portion of another alternative tourniquet cuff in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of yet another alternative tourniquet cuff in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a further alternative tourniquet cuff in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an inflatable tourniquet cuff 10 has a body 12 with a main member 14 and a securing portion 16 that includes a securing strap 18. The strap 18 has an attachment end portion 20 connected to an end portion 22 of the main member 14 at an intermediate portion 44 of the body 12. The body 12 has a proximal end portion 24 formed by the main member 14 and that is placed against a limb 42 for a medical procedure on the limb. A distal end portion 26 of the body 12 is formed by the securing strap 18 while a grasping ribbon 28 extends transversely along the proximal end portion 22 of the main member 14. The main member 14 also has one or more fluid-tight bladders, bags, or containers 30 (shown in dashed line) with one or more ports 32 for connection to a tourniquet machine that controls the air supply and pressure from and to the bladder 30 in order to pressurize and unpressurize the tourniquet cuff 10.

In one form, the main member 14 includes outer layers of woven nylon covering the bladder 30 and other inner, polymeric stiffening and/or protection layers. The securing strap 18 is secured to the end portion 22 of the main member 14 by adhesion, sewing, and/or any other suitable connection method. The securing strap 18 is also made of woven nylon or other polymeric material with a hook-type material on a back side 34 that faces the limb 42. The main member 14 has a patch 36 of loop-type material on the front side 38 of the main member 14 facing away from the limb. So configured, when the cuff 10 is wrapped around the limb, any part of the back side 34 of the securing strap 18 can be engaged to the patch 38 for securing the cuff to the limb. It will be appreciated, however, that the location of the engagement material on the securing strap or portion 18 is not limited to any one configuration. Thus, the hook and loop material locations may be reversed from that described above, and/or may be limited to certain parts of the securing strap 18 whether just on the back side 34 of the strap 18 or additionally on the front side 40 of the strap 18. The hook or loop-type material may also be limited to only certain portions of the securing strap 18 rather than extending the entire length of the strap.

The cuff 10 also has an indicator 50 that operates in response to movement of the securing portion 16 for locating where the securing portion 16 engages the body 12 in order to apply a predetermined amount of force sufficient to snugly secure the body 12 to the limb 24 without causing significant venous occlusion at the limb when the body is in the unpressurized state. The indicator 50 includes at least one resilient portion or resiliently extendable portion 52. The resilient portion 52 has a natural bias against extension and is attached to the body 12 so that the resilient portion is stretched or extends against the natural bias as the securing portion 52 is wrapped around the limb 24 for securement to the body.

More specifically, the resilient portion 52 includes an elastic strip 54, and as indicated by the phantom line, the indicator 50 may include a plurality of generally parallel resilient portions 52. The resilient portion 52 has a first end portion 56 connected to the end portion 22 of the main member 14 located at the intermediate portion 44 of the body 12. A second distal end portion 58 of the resilient portion 52 is connected to the distal end portion 26 of the body 12 and on the securing strap 18. The first and second end portions 56 and 58 of the resilient portion 52 are connected to the front face 40 of the securing strap 18 by adhesive, stitching (whether or not the same stitching holding the securing strap 18 to the main member 14), or other connection devices. Since the resilient portion 52 is attached to the body 12 at its end portions 56 and 58, an intermediate section 60 of the resilient portion and between the end portions is free to move away from the securing strap 18 when the resilient portion 52 has its natural length and the securing strap 18 is in a slackened state (as shown in FIG. 1). The intermediate section 60 generally extends along and in contact with the securing strap 18 when the securing strap is in a taut state and the resilient portion 52 is disposed in a predetermined, fully extended length or state (as shown in FIG. 2). The resilient portion 52 may be made of expandable polymeric materials, whether woven or non-woven, such as latex-free lycra spandex or other polyurethane fiber materials although latex based fibers could be used.

To apply the cuff 10 to the limb 42, the body 12 is snugly wrapped around the limb forming a cylindrical shape of one or more layers around the limb. In one form, the user then holds the grasping ribbons 28 with one hand while pulling the securing strap 18 with the other hand as shown in FIG. 2. This extends the resilient portion 52 against its natural bias and absorbs forces that would have otherwise been applied directly to the main member 14 which could over-tighten the main member on the limb 42. In one form, the resilient portion 52 is extended into its fully extended length (or other predetermined extended state) when the securing strap 18 is pulled generally taut and the resilient portion 52 cannot be extended farther. In this orientation, the resilient portion 52, along with the tension applied by the user, applies a tensile force that is sufficient to hold the body 12 snugly on the limb 42 without significantly restricting blood flow out of the limb while the body is in an unpressurized state. The amount of tension the resilient portion 52 provides is directly proportional to the amount of tension the cuff exerts on the operative limb 42 and depends on how much force the resilient portion absorbs in an extended state. While maintaining the securing strap 18 in the taut condition and the resilient portion 52 in the fully extended state, the user then wraps the securing strap 18 around the limb while pressing radially inward to secure the securing strap 18 against the engagement pad 36 on the main member 14. This secures the body 12 in a tensioned state with the desired tension force as described above.

When the resilient portion 52 is in its fully extended state and/or when the securing portion is generally taut, this indicates that a sufficient force is being applied and the securing portion should be engaged with the body 12 to secure the body 12 to the limb 42. Here, generally taut means that the body 12 is at least taut along a length of the body wrapped around the limb 42 on which the resilient portion 52 extends. Thus, in the present example, generally taut means taut from at least the proximal end portion 24 of the main member 14 and for a length of the securing strap to where the distal end portion 58 of the resilient portion 52 connects to the distal end portion 26 of the securing strap 18. Thus, any extra length of the body 12 distal from the distal end portion 58 of the resilient portion may or may not be pulled taut depending on where a user grasps the securing strap 18.

While the resilient portion 52 absorbs forces while it is extending, once the resilient portion 52 is fully extended and the securing strap 18 is taut, further pulling on the securing strap will cause those further forces to apply too much tension to the main member 14 still causing over-tightening of the body 12. Thus, the user is provided with instructions to stop pulling and secure the securing strap 18 once the slack in the securing strap 18 is removed and the securing strap is taut as already explained.

The resilient portion 52 also helps to secure the hook-loop connectors to each other by applying a slight downward (radially inward for example) force to the hook and loop fabric. This forces the hooks to engage farther into the loops reducing the chances of unintentional separation.

Since the cuff 10 will not significantly affect blood pressure in the limb 42 pressure when the cuff is deflated, the cuff 10 also helps to maintain blood pressure in the limb and air pressure in the tourniquet cuff closer to ideal values. This is desirable with tourniquet machines, such as Zimmer's A.T.S.® 3000 tourniquet system, that detect and display limb occlusion pressure (LOP) and then display a recommended tourniquet pressure (RTP) for providing a minimum amount of tourniquet pressure (including safety margins) to safely provide occlusion. When these values are not within ideal ranges, the practitioners may believe something is wrong. In fact, nothing is wrong because the tourniquet machine simply compensates for the actual LOP and RTP values that result from a tourniquet that is not applied correctly. For instance, when a tourniquet cuff is too loose, the LOP and RTP values may be higher than normal. A cuff that is applied too tight may result in LOP and RTP values that are lower than normal. Thus, the tourniquet machine will need to supply more volume of air and potentially more pressure for a cuff that is too loose and less pressure for a cuff that is too tight due to the fact that the inappropriately tight cuff is providing partial occlusion for the tourniquet machine to obtain the desired stop in blood pulse in the limb. Also, a cuff that is inappropriately applied too tight can significantly reduce the overall cuff volume which can tend to make cuff pressure regulation more difficult for electronically controlled tourniquet machines. The difficulty can be in part a control hysteresis where as the control system will oscillate around the set pressure with improper pressure amplitude. The present cuff 10, however, avoids this problem of possibly unnecessarily alarming medical personnel by significantly increasing the chances that the cuff 10 will be applied properly.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in an alternative form, a tourniquet cuff 70 has at least one resiliently extendable portion or resilient portion 72 disposed at least partially within a securing strap 74. Features that are similar to that on tourniquet cuff 10 are otherwise numbered similarly. The securing strap 74 has outer layers 76 and 78 that at least partially or completely enclose the resilient portion 72 where the side edges (facing into and out of the paper in FIG. 4) of the layers may be connected to each other. While the outer layers 76 and 78 are flexible to provide sufficient space between them to permit the resilient portion 72 to flex, bend, and/or compress, the outer layers 76 and 78 may have a maximum extended orientation (as shown in phantom line) where the layers are pulled taut as with the securing strap 18. Opposite ends 71 of the resilient portion 72 and the corresponding ends 73 of the layers 76 and 78 may be connected to each other by methods mentioned above for the resilient portion 16 and securing strap 18. The resilient portion 72 and the outer layers 76 and 78 are also made of materials similar to that mentioned above for the resilient portion 16 and the securing strap 18.

Referring to FIG. 5, in this alternative form, a cuff 80 has a resilient portion 82 integrally formed with non-resilient end portions 84 and 86 to form a securing strap 88. The securing strap 88 may be made of a polymer that provides the resilient portion 82 with a memory for its natural length but that can be extended when pulled by a user. The non-resilient, stiffer end portions 84 and 86 are wider and thicker than the resilient portion 82 to restrict such resiliency at the end portions. For this case, the distal end portion 86 has a hook or loop pad 90 (shown in dashed line) to engage the hook or loop patch 36 on the main member 14 when the cuff 80 is wrapped around a limb. The user may be instructed to pull the securing strap 88 until the securing strap attains a visible predetermined shape such as with a predetermined extended length or a predetermined reduced width caused by the stretching of the resilient portion 82.

Referring to FIG. 6, in another form, a tourniquet cuff 100 does not have a securing strap, and a resilient portion 102 spans a slackened, distal portion 104 of a main body 106 of the cuff The cuff 100 otherwise operates similarly to the cuff 10.

Similarly, referring to FIG. 7, an alternative tourniquet cuff 120 also has a resilient portion 122 on a main body 124 of the cuff and that spans a slackened distal portion 126 of the body 124. Here, however, the cuff 120 also has a separate securing strap 128 similar to securing strap 18 but that is not connected to the resilient portion 122.

It will be appreciated that other forms of the resilient portions described herein are also contemplated such as extension springs whether in coil form or other forms as well as resilient cables, cords, or any other device that is extendable and has a memory for its original length. Of course, if any of the cuffs described herein are disposable, it will be understood that the resilient portion may be configured so that it intentionally cannot reestablish its natural, non-extended length in order to force the user to dispose of the cuff.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tourniquet cuff, comprising: a body capable of being wrapped around a limb, the body having an unpressurized state and a pressurized state and having a securing portion capable of being releasably engaged to the body; and an indicator that operates in response to movement of the securing portion for locating where the securing portion is to engage the body in order to apply a predetermined amount of force sufficient to secure the body to a limb without causing significant venous occlusion at the limb.
 2. The tourniquet cuff of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a resilient portion having a natural bias against extension, the resilient portion being configured to extend against the natural bias as the securing portion is being wrapped around the limb for securement to the body.
 3. The tourniquet cuff of claim 2, wherein the resilient portion is configured to be extended from a first length to a second length, wherein the second length indicates that the securing portion has been sufficiently wrapped around the limb and is to be engaged with the body to secure the body to the limb.
 4. The tourniquet cuff of claim 2, wherein the body has a taut state, and wherein the resilient portion is configured to absorb force while the body is pulled into the taut state.
 5. The tourniquet cuff of claim 4, wherein the taut state indicates that a sufficient amount of tension is applied to the body and that the securing portion should be attached to the body.
 6. The tourniquet cuff of claim 4, wherein the body has a proximal end portion for contacting the limb, wherein the resilient portion has a distal end disposed at the securing portion, and wherein the body is generally taut from the proximal end portion to at least the distal end of the resilient portion in the taut state.
 7. The tourniquet cuff of claim 2, wherein the body has a proximal end portion for being placed against the limb and an intermediate portion disposed between the proximal end portion and the securing portion, and wherein the resilient portion extends from the intermediate portion to the securing portion.
 8. The tourniquet cuff of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a main member and a securing strap connected to the main member and the securing strap includes the securing portion.
 9. The tourniquet cuff of claim 8, wherein the indicator comprises at least one resiliently extendable member with a first portion connected to the main member and a second portion connected to the securing portion so that the resiliently extendable member is capable of being stretched to a predetermined extension to indicate that the cuff is sufficiently wrapped about the limb.
 10. The tourniquet cuff of claim 9, wherein the at least one resiliently extendable member has a distal end and is configured to be at the predetermined extension when the securing strap is generally taut from the main member and to at least the distal end.
 11. The tourniquet cuff of claim 9, wherein the at least one resiliently extendable member includes an intermediate section configured to generally extend along the securing strap when the securing strap is in a taut state and configured to be free to move away from the securing strap when the securing strap is in a slackened state.
 12. The tourniquet cuff of claim 9, wherein the at least one resiliently extendable member is disposed at least partially within the securing strap.
 13. The tourniquet cuff of claim 9, wherein the at least one resiliently extendable member is integrally formed with the securing strap.
 14. The tourniquet cuff of claim 9, wherein the at least one resiliently extendable member comprises a plurality of generally parallel extending resiliently extendable members.
 15. The tourniquet cuff of claim 8, wherein the indicator comprises a resilient portion of at least one of the main member and the securing strap, the resilient portion capable of being stretched against a natural bias of the resilient portion as the resilient portion is pulled; and wherein the resilient portion is capable of indicating a sufficient distance for the securing strap to be wrapped about the limb.
 16. A tourniquet cuff comprising: a main member configured for being wrapped around a limb and having an unpressurized state and a pressurized state; a securing portion having an attachment end portion connected to the main member and a free end portion configured to be releasably engaged to the main member upon wrapping around the limb; and an indicator configured for indicating that the securing end portion has been wrapped around a limb a sufficient distance for the main member to apply a predetermined amount of force to the limb without causing significant venous occlusion at the limb.
 17. The tourniquet cuff of claim 16, wherein the indicator comprises at least one resilient member, the resilient member being expandable against a natural bias of the resilient member as the securing strap is pulled generally taut.
 18. The tourniquet cuff of claim 17, wherein the at least one resilient member has a first portion connected to the main member and a second portion connected to the securing portion.
 19. The tourniquet cuff of claim 16 wherein the at least one resilient member comprises a plurality of generally parallel extending resilient members.
 20. A tourniquet cuff comprising: a body configured to be wrapped around a limb and having an unpressurized state and a pressurized state, the body including a main member and a securing portion having a first end secured to the main member and a second free end configured to be releasably engaged to the main member when wrapped around a limb; wherein the securing portion includes a resilient member configured to be stretched from a first length to a second length; wherein the second free end of the securing portion configured to be releasably engaged to the main member while the securing portion is wrapped around the limb with the resilient member stretched to the second length; and wherein the resilient member is configured to indicate when the body has applied a predetermined amount of force to the limb when the body is in the unpressurized state to secure the body to the limb without causing significant venous occlusion at the limb when the resilient member is stretched to the second length. 